Who Is Brandi Carlile? Meet the Singer-Songwriter Who Could Sweep the Grammys

When the 2019 Grammy nominations were announced last week, nobody was surprised to see names like Cardi B, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Post Malone. However, Brandi Carlile was not a name many expected—yet, the singer-songwriter's single "The Joke" and album By the Way, I Forgive You are up for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and the coveted Album of the Year award at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. In fact, at six Grammy noms total, Carlile has the most of any female artist this year.

She's not slowing down, either. Just today (December 11) the openly gay artist released her intense, cinematic music video for "Party Of One," featuring The Handmaid's Tale star Elisabeth Moss as a woman in a tumultuous relationship with another woman. This past October, Carlile teamed up with fellow LGBTQ singer-songwriter Sam Smith for a duet version of "Party Of One."

"We are witnessing a generation of LGBTQ people who are being granted access to a basic but powerful civil right for the first time," Carlile wrote on Facebook today upon releasing the powerful video. "Relationships are beautiful and difficult. The feelings of pressure to persevere and make love last might just be a superpower."

But just who is Brandi Carlile? Maybe it's time to get familiar: she's only getting bigger and she very well could sweep the Grammy Awards on February 10th.

Carlile might be a new name to many, but she's definitely not new to the music game. By the Way, I Forgive You is actually the folk-rock artist's sixth studio album, but her first to debut in the top 5 of the Billboard 200 albums chart. Brandi's self-title debut album dropped in 2005, and her 2012 album Bear Creek was her first to hit the top 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart, followed by 2015's The Firewatcher's Daughter, which reached No. 9.

However, it was Carlile's 2007 breakout single "The Story," off her album of the same name, that became a minor hit, thanks to placements in popular television shows, ad campaigns, and more. The song and album became Carlile's most successful at the time.

"The Story" appeared in a season 3 episode of ABC's hit medical drama Grey's Anatomy, which immediately gave it wider exposure. The song was next used in a General Motors commercial that aired heavily during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and then appeared in 2012 promos for the final season of hit travel series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.

"Hiding My Heart," a hidden track off Carlile's The Story album, was covered by Adele and included as a bonus track on her 2011 smash sophomore album 21. Fast forward to 2017 when Adele's cover was the inspiration for Cover Stories: Brandi Carlile Celebrates 10 Years of The Story – An Album to Benefit War Child, a compilation album for charity featuring artists like Dolly Parton, Pearl Jam, The Avett Brothers, and more, covering tracks off Carlile's original 2007 album.

Make sure to follow Grammy-nominated singer Brandi Carlile on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook for the latest. We'll be paying close attention as we watch the Grammy Awards in February, hoping some of her noms result in career-changing wins for the talented singer-songwriter!